“If you hold to my teaching,.....

“If You Hold to my Teaching,...

      A message for Christians who continue to struggle and suffer from relapse after relapse to addictions. Many of God's promises, are conditional, including John 8:31-36, where He speaks about setting us free, the condition here is, “If you hold to my teaching." If you're experiencing relapse, and He's promised to "set you free," and you know God doesn't break His promises, then clearly you're "not holding to His teachings." Somewhere's you're coming up short on your end of the agreement. If we consider ourselves saved, born again Christians, we must take God's Word seriously. We don't get to pick and choose certain scripture that comforts us. I would suggest that an evaluation is in order if you're tired of relapse. One area that is often overlooked because of the failure of our new world churches, is to teach repentance, something rarely mentioned in our churches today! Yet something absolutely relevant to not only our Salvation, but also our obedience to God, or, "our holding to His teaching," which is relevant to "being set free" which in turn means we'll no longer be under the bondage of addictions. The Bible, Gods Word, also known as The Truth, clearly states in many places, the need to repent, here are a just a few examples,...
Acts 2:38 NIV
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 3:19  NIV
19, Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
Acts 26:20  NIV
20, First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
Acts 17:30 NIV
30, In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Job 34:33 KJV
Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you know.
Proverbs 1:23 KJV
Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
Luke 13:3 KJV
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Acts 3:19 KJV
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Luke 17:3
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

God says to repent and be Saved, not "repeat after me" as so many pastors teach today to build their audience! Beware of the many wolves in sheep's clothing! (Matthew 7:15)
Matthew 7:15, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."

To sin, or not to sin?

To sin, or not to sin? 

WHY DOES JESUS REPEAT HIMSELF TWICE IN THESE 6 VERSES ?

John 8:31-36  NIV

The Children of Abraham

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, (“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.") 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

       I believe He repeated Himself so His people would see that He meant what he said,...yet millions of people today still refuse to believe His words, and or, are unwilling to heed the fact that this is a conditional promise based on the "IF" in His first sentence. "IF" we hold to, or follow His teachings, we will be set free. Most people today either fail to recognize the "IF,” or choose to ignore it. Many have been misled by false teachings in churches today into believing that God tolerates sin. Many mis-interpret 1 John 1:8-10 to defend their sin, but need to read 1 John 2: 3-6 to understand the full context of what Jesus was saying. And still many more, (myself included), fall prey to Paul’s dilemma in Romans 7:7-25. I had heard this passage preached, or read it myself on a number of occasions before discovering that Paul wrote it some 30 years after his experience on the road to Damascus. My flesh immediately responded, “wow, Paul was still struggling with sin 30 years into his ministry, I guess I shouldn’t worry about my sin”! The flesh is stupid! I was stupid in the flesh! Men are stupid in the flesh! The flesh is a filthy rag! And when we, in the flesh, make excuses for our sin based on scripture, we’re in trouble if we don’t dig deeper into the scripture to see Gods Words, “Thou shalt not sin”! The sooner we accept this Truth, the sooner we can start peeling off the layers of filthy rags we’re cloaked in. Wherever in His Word there is mention of the fact that we are sinners, in context we’ll discover it also shows us that God doesn’t want us to sin, and provides us not only the opportunity to avoid it, but just in case we do slip and fall, we have His Grace. He sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary so that we might be forgiven, and have Eternal Life with Him,  “IF” we’re obedient and hold to His teachings, abide in His Word, and follow His instructions.  “IF” we don’t, we won’t!  It’s just that simple, and our simple choice, and He suggests throughout His Word, that few will make the right choice.(Mathew 7:14)  What’s yours? To deny, or accept His invitation of Salvation and Eternal Life with Him? I’d suggest not spending much time debating with satan over your answer, as one of God's "unconditional" promises is that His Son will be returning soon. Maybe tomorrow, or even later today. The smart choice would be to make your decision now and enjoy His Peace and freedom now while you’re waiting for His return.      

Why is AA in the Christian Church ?

A Public Disclosure to all Christians in addiction recovery. 

      Please understand that the intent of this website, (my ministry), is not to insult, degrade, or dispute any of the A-A / N-A principles, policies, practices, or politics. I’m fully aware and cognitive of the long history of A-A and their 12-step program, and the fact that it’s brought sobriety to many lost souls. Unfortunately however, many of those “lost souls” are still lost in spite of their sobriety, because typically their experience in A-A, or other secular recovery programs has lacked any exposure to The Word of God, which is the only Truth to live by. They’ve not been exposed to the Gospel and the message of Salvation through The Blood of Christ on The Cross, which is the only way to be saved and to be “set free” from the bondage of addictions.
      The fundamental purpose of this website, (my ministry), is to reveal the secular practices and policies of AA, and other secular programs which have no Biblical foundations that would qualify them as Christian programs to be used for counseling born again Christians in a Christian Church. A-A has been claiming for years to have Christian roots, yet denies Christ by proclaiming that “any” god, or false idol you can imagine will suffice, and is acceptable and worthy of worship in their meetings. Christians, however, believe in one God, because He tells us so in,  Malachi 2:10, Romans 3:30, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, and James 2:19, and elsewhere. AA members, and members of other secular 12-step programs, are encouraged to put their trust and faith into some “undefined higher power”, or a God of “their” choice, or any god or false idol, as they choose to understand him! They refuse to allow the Gospel, the Holy Word of God, the Bible, The Truth, into their meetings, or any discussion of Him or His Son Jesus Christ or The Holy Spirit Is forbidden. As long as A-A refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as its “higher power”, and that there is but only one Sovereign Almighty God, and refuses to allow the Gospel, or discuss the Word of God and Jesus, or allow prayer in the name of Jesus in their meetings, it will never be a Christian program! Period! It can only be identified as a cult! You can’t deny Christ and be a Christian! (Titus 1:16, Mathew 10:32-33, 2 Tim.2:12 ) Nor should a program like it be allowed in our churches! But they are, and prayerfully the information on this website will reveal and expose the Blasphemy and Heresy of such practices. For a Christian counselor to suggest to a professing born again believer that he or she is “powerless”, (the 1st step in a 12-step program), in light of Jesus words in Acts 1:8, is blasphemy, and disgraceful and unacceptable! If you’re a counselor or a pastor reading this, I suggest you examine any addiction recovery program you might have in place in your church. This has become a wide spread epidemic throughout the Christian church. Christians struggling with addictions, need to be fed Gods Truth, and nothing but "The Truth"! Be sure and read  "The 4 Pillars of Truth," for more information on this issue. The Truth will set us free, satans lies and deception will keep us in the bondage of our sin! http://addictioncrucifixionfellowship.com/4_PILLARS_OF_TRUTH.php

Too many “Rabbi’s” in the Marketplace today!

Jesus did not tolerate false teachers, Pharisees, or church leaders, in fact calling them "blind fools"! 

Matthew 23

Seven Woes

23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.[b] 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.[c]
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[d]”

“Are Your Knees Bleeding” ?

"Pray Without Ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17)

       For a number of years now whenever a brother or sister in Christ has come to me in anguish over their ongoing addictions and commenting about how God's not answering their prayers in times of crisis, (and for those with addictions, that can be a daily event), my response has often been, “Are your knees bleeding?” Not to be taken literally of course, but to make a point and get ones attention! When we’re struggling with a crisis or a problem in our life, we should take 1 Thes.5:17  very seriously. If our crisis is addiction, we need to pray in Faith, Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
James 5:15, "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven." We need to pray  until we’ve been set free, and recovered. Until we get to the point of living and obeying 1 Thes.5:17, we might be waiting for quite awhile before we can celebrate Victory over our addictions! We must understand through our Faith, that the answers will come in Gods timing, not ours. For example, if we're not living in obedience to His Will, we may have to endure more trials until we learn to be obedient. We need to recognize that most of Gods promises are conditional, and the conditions are usually our obedience and Faith. We must all endure the Refiners fire, also in Psalm 66:10, Daniel 11:35, Daniel 12:10, 1 Peter 1:7. If  “your knees are bleeding.” be assured your in the furnace being “refined” for Gods purpose! Gods in control of all situations, and He knows what we need, long before we need it. He tells  us, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” (Luke 18:1) “Not to faint” means to be strong, stand in faith, and wait on Him! Trust Him ! When we fail and give up, relapse is waiting “just around the next corner” for us. The enemy loves weak Christians who are busy practicing “Ye of little Faith,”  specially Christians with addictions, who are so vulnerable to his temptations. "For Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26)  

      “Praying Without Ceasing” (1 Thes.5:17) is how we communicate with our Father. It’s a vital part of building our relationship with Him. We will never get to know and understand Him and His will for us until we learn to pray on a regular and routine basis. Not just when we’re in a crisis. To best understand “Praying Without Ceasing” (1 Thes.5:17 ), please read this devotional by Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost for His Highest” , May 26, titled, “Thinking of prayer as Jesus Taught.” (My emphasis on “thinking.”) I believe Mr. Chambers has provided us with an excellent explanation defining the very complicated answer to the question, “what is prayer?” A subject of the Gospel that has already consumed forests of paper, written over centuries of time, many definitions and interpretations, written by thousands of “expert Theologians." Or you could also read, "A Time to Wait in Prayer " by Charles Stanley, Saturday, March 17, 2012.
       My quote, “are your knees bleeding,” is simply meant to get ones attention, one who’s caught up in a crisis, such as addiction, a crisis which is seemingly without end or justification to those caught up in it. Should that be you, and since your reading this, in all likelihood it either has been you, or is now you, or will be soon, my point is, "draw near to God!” (James 4:8) And continue drawing nearer to Him as needed, through faith, until you feel His comfort! (Psalms 23)  No matter what the circumstances, we can do and He knows the answers to the problems, and has already provided them, we just need to claim them, and wait for Him to deliver them, when He knows the time is right! For example; When God gave John the  instructions to write to us in  John 8:31-36 , He gave us the answer to our addictions then, 2000 years ago! Why do we Christians still struggle today with bondage to sin? When God promised us that we can be "set free?"  “Drunkenness” is sin ! (Please read this scripture again and again, if you’re still in denial of that Truth.) Many Christians today have been so misled in regards to addiction recovery, both inside and outside the church, they’ve either never read John 8:31-36 , or consciously meditated on it, or prayed over it for His inspiration or revelation, or they believe it was written for someone else’s benefit. My friends, Gods Holy Word was written to all of us!  That means You! It is however, our choice to pick it up and read it! How often we do so, is also our choice! Praying over it with God for understanding and revelation is also our choice! Our commitment to Him is also our choice! We choose what we do with our time, and the excuses we make to justify those choices! We need to choose, whether to be inconvenienced, or to make sacrifices to please God and receive His full Blessings. Remember Job, or Noah, or the many others throughout the Bible who were inconvenienced, but through sacrifice and Faith, found Gods favor, and had their prayers answered, in His time!
      We can do nothing on our own, without Him, so we might as well surrender to Him, draw closer to Him, where we can clearly hear His instructions to us, to get us through this crisis. As difficult as it may be in our culture today, we must find the time and a “mountaintop,” (Mark 6:46), or a “solitary place” (Mark 1:35), perhaps in your “closet” (Math.6:6) , where we can be absolutely alone with God, where we might hear Him as clearly as possible. So close we can hear His breathing!  It’s our choice, do we want to be inconvenienced, or make the necessary sacrifices, not only to hear Him clearly, but also to show Him that we care. God wants our sacrificial Love for Him, in return for the sacrifice that he made for us on the Cross for our Salvation! The least we can do in return, is have an attitude of, “Lord, my knees are bleeding, in order that I might hear more clearly and frequently from you, that I might get to know and understand you better, through a closer personal relationship with you”.
       Yes, we need to “Pray without ceasing,” ( 1 Thes.5:17 ), to be communicating with God in every breath He blesses us with, not just when we’re in a crisis, and not just from a “mountaintop,” but in all that we do, even from on our knees, with tears in our eyes, and if necessary, until our knees are bleeding! It’s all about our commitment to Him and our Love for Him! His Love for us is unconditional, and His Grace, unlimited! He wants us to know that He’s in control of all situations, that He knows what we need long before we need it.

Broken Promises

 a Christmas story by R.M. Survine

      His name was Thomas Eugene Wilson Jr., but everyone called him TJ, and he was mad and sad. He didn’t know if he was going to fight or cry, everything was wrong and he was hurting deep inside; way down deep inside where a ten year old really hurts and nobody could make it stop hurting. He had done it again. Thomas Eugene Wilson Sr. had let him down once again and TJ was determined that this time he was not going to forgive him. No way! He had broken too many promises and TJ was tired of all the excuses. Mom said she understood, but TJ didn’t. His father was currently incarcerated and had promised he was going to be home for his birthday on December 23, two days before Christmas. TJ had been really excited, plus his dad was supposed to buy him his first basketball and show him how to shoot. But now he wasn’t coming home until three days after Christmas and that meant he was going to miss TJ’s birthday and Christmas . . . again! He had gotten in trouble again, and had broken his promise again. “I hate him,” TJ thought to himself, “and I don’t ever want to see him again. I don’t care if he ever comes home; he can rot in there if he wants.” TJ cried into his pillow until at last he drifted into a fitful night of tossing and turning.
      Thomas Wilson had been sentenced to five years for assault. He had not even fought the case; he knew he was guilty and deserved more than he got. He had faced ten years and was relieved when the D.A.# offered him a five years deal. He figured he would do three and get out, and it might have happened that way except the first two years he spent in and out of segregation,# mostly for fighting, and it soon became apparent that he would end up doing his entire sentence. Then his life changed. A little more than a year ago he was invited to attend a GraceLife Workshop, and there was just something about the way they explained Christianity that made sense to him. It took several more days of serious thinking things through but he finally surrendered his life to God. Then things really got hard. It seemed like even making the decision to do what was right was the hardest thing in the world. But eventually decisions did get easier and easier. Thomas, by nature, was not very vocal, but he was determined and he began to study the Bible with a voracious appetite. So much so, he became known as “the theologian.” Ask him about a topic and he would list and discuss the many verses related to that topic. Then Christmas came early for him when his case manager called him into his office to tell him he would be leaving two days before Christmas. That was awesome, because he would be home for TJ’s birthday.
      At first TJ was hesitant to believe him. Thomas knew he had broken more promises to his son than he could count, but after promising and promising that nothing would keep him away from coming home on his son’s birthday, he finally heard the hope in TJ’s voice when he asked, “Really dad, for sure?” and he confidently said to him, “Yes, for sure.” He would be coming home to celebrate TJ’s birthday and Christmas all at the same time. That was ten days ago; today was December 22 and Thomas was in segregation with six days to go. What was he going to tell TJ this time? He hung his head.
        Denise Hawthorne Wilson had met Thomas in her first year of college. He was smart, good looking and as a freshman had been the starting point guard on the school’s basketball team. But there was something about his dogged determination and how he had won her father over that really made her fall head over heels in love with him. After they had been dating about a year and things really began to get serious, her father called Thomas into the family room and told him he would never allow his daughter to marry a man who could not provide her with the security she deserved. Thomas stood up from the couch, looked him straight in the eye and said simply, “You got it,” and then walked out. After a month Denise began to wonder if her father had run Thomas off, but she was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at her house, walked right up to her father and informed him that he had applied for, and been accepted into, the aeronautical engineering program at a local college. He had spent the last month studying day and night in order to pass the entrance exam. He was three months behind in preparing and yet he had passed the
exam with a ninety-three. Denise was equally amazed when her father said to her later than night, “That’s a man!” Two years later they were married and a year later TJ was born.
      Thomas had started working for a branch of a local aircraft manufacturer and life was beautiful. Then came the accident. A drunk driver had run a red light and then tried to flee the scene. Denise and Thomas had received minor cuts and scrapes, but TJ had broken an arm. This scared Thomas more than Denise, and Thomas proceeded to beat the man within an inch of his life. He may have succeeded if the police had not arrived in time to prevent Thomas from committing murder. There was never a trial and within six months Thomas had begun serving a five-year sentence. And now a week before he was to come home he had been sent to segregation for tattoo paraphernalia, and all he would tell Denise was he had to do what he did and she needed to trust that he had no choice. She had cried on the phone and he told her that when she found out the story she would understand and forgive him. But what was she to tell TJ?
       Thomas did not know what to say; only one day maybe he would forgive him. She had heard TJ crying last night, but knew her words would not help. He was disappointed in his father and only his father could make it right. Denise was not looking forward to TJ’s birthday, and Christmas would be heartbreaking.
       Alicia Pierre was dying and there was no time for any setbacks. Joshua Pierre was scheduled to leave on December 20th, not a day too soon as she was failing fast and Josh needed to get out before she died because if not, his son Bobby would be taken by her side of the family and he knew he would never see his son again. They hated him from the start and even now were making plans to ship Bobby away from him. He had shared all of this with his cellie, who suggested they pray about it. He was unsure about this God stuff, but he was not turning down any help from anywhere at this time.
       Then everything seemed lost in an instant. The unit went on lockdown December 18th and he knew he was screwed and his son would be lost to him forever. It didn’t take them long to find the tattoo motor and needles. He had only agreed to hold the stuff because their cell had been shook down the week before and he was supposed to leave in a few days. As his heart sank, the most amazing thing happened. His cellie, who was himself supposed to leave on the 23rd, stepped up and said the stuff belonged to him. Josh wondered why he would do something dumb like that. He knew he wouldn’t have done that if it had been the other way around. And when they called his name on the morning of December 20th, Josh walked out not only happy but confused. There was something about the sacrifice his cellie had made that struck deep within his soul and he just could not get rid of it.
       What Thomas did not understand was why he felt compelled to open his mouth. In an instant he knew his sacrifice would hurt TJ and take a long time to heal a wound he had dug a long time ago, and continue to keep open by his long line of broken promises. Yet that was the key; he would have time, he hoped, but Josh would not.
      TJ woke early on Christmas morning. He knew his mom was awake; he could smell her coffee brewing and there was the faint sound of her moving about. He heard her footsteps outside his bedroom and quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep as she opened the door. He tried to regulate his breathing as he felt her eyes upon him. She softly called his name, but he continued to keep his eyes closed, praying that she could not see his heart pounding under the sheets. It was racing a hundred miles per hour because though he loved his mother, he did not want to speak to her right now.
        Thankfully she closed the door, and after a moment he opened his eyes and once again fought back the tears. Last night he had promised himself two things. First, he would never shed another tear in life, and second, he would never forgive; well, that man for missing his birthday and Christmas after he had tricked him once again into believing him. He would never, ever, ever forgive him. As TJ swung his feet from the bed he heard the doorbell ring. Who could this be at 8:30 on Christmas morning? He heard the muffled sounds of voices then the door closed. Some man was in the house and he could tell it was not his . . . he just could not bring himself to say the “D” word. He slowly opened his door and walked quietly down the hallway as heard the man speaking to his mother.
       “Thomas really loves you and his son. His son was all he would talk about and what he was going to give him for his birthday and Christmas, and where they were going to go, and on and on.” TJ walked into the room to face this man who told such bold lies to his mother. His mom noticed him enter and said, “Good morning,” but he ignored her and faced the stranger with both arms rigidly held to his side and fist clenched, he said, “If that man loved me he would be here. I hate him and never want to see him again. I wish he was dead!” “TJ!” his mother shouted. “How can you say that?” TJ looked at her and responded:
“He said he was going to be here. He promised it again and he’s not, again. He is always breaking his promises and I don’t care any more.”
       The man sitting there turned to face TJ and for the first time TJ noticed a boy about his age sitting next to him. The man spoke up, “I’m sorry to hear you say that because it’s my fault he’s not here.” Both Denise and TJ looked quizzically at the man as he told them how Thomas had taken the rap for him. How his wife Alicia lost her fight with cancer, and if he had not walked in the house when he had, he paused and looked at his son before continuing, he would have lost his son forever. TJ looked at Bobby again, but with newfound compassion as he thought how this boy lost his mother right before Christmas, which had to be awful. Then Joshua continued with the story of how Thomas had taken the blame for something stupid he had done. “I asked him why he would do that, and he told me it was because he had the greatest son in the world and he didn’t want me not to know what it was like to have a son a father could be proud of.” He looked right at TJ as he continued. “He said you had such a big heart and he was so proud of you. You see I’ve been locked up since Bobby was six months, and he’ll be ten next month. I don’t really know my son and all Thomas ever talked about was TJ and playing basketball with him. He said he wanted me to not lose out on that chance to be a father.” Joshua placed his left arm around his son.
       TJ looked from father to son before asking: “He really said he was proud of me?” Joshua smiled, “All the time. To be truthful I kind of got tired of hearing him talk about you.” This brought a smile to TJ’s face. “Anyway, before I leave, this is for you TJ.” He picked up a box and handed it to him. “Though he didn’t ask me, I know he wanted you to have this for Christmas, and it’s the least I could do.” Bobby rose from his seat next to his father and walked up to TJ and said, “Merry Christmas, TJ. I hope you don’t stay mad at your daddy, cause he gave me my daddy.”
       A single tear began to fall down TJ’s cheek as he opened the box. Joshua stood preparing to leave. “Would you like a cup of coffee, Josh?” Denise asked. “No thank you,” Joshua answered, “I need to go. I just wanted to . . .” He was interrupted by a shout from TJ. “No way! Look mom, it’s a basketball!” Denise smiled at TJ. “Can I go out and shoot with him?” Bobby asked. Joshua sat back down and turned to Denise; “I guess I will be taking that cup of coffee after all.” TJ bounced the ball a couple of times then said, “There is only one thing that would make this a better day. I really want my daddy, but I guess I can understand. My daddy is awesome and I think I’m proud of him.” TJ moved to the door where upon opening it he gets the biggest surprise of his life, as standing there was his father, Thomas. TJ drops the ball and jumps into his father’s arms. “Merry Christmas son.” “Merry Christmas, daddy!” TJ says with tears falling and the biggest smile one can ever imagine on a ten year old’s face, who at this moment forgot about all the broken promises.
 

4 PILLARS OF TRUTH

THE 4 PILLARS OF TRUTH

FOR CHRISTIANS IN

 ADDICTION RECOVERY

(The Truth shall set you free)

(John 8:31-36)

     This program and Bible Study teaches and exposes in great detail, and through much scripture, the many lies and misleading deception of Satan, used over decades in traditional secular and worldly 12-step addiction recovery programs. This deception has begun to find its way into Christian Churches in recent years. We believe attempting to mix these secular programs with Gods Word, can have devastating consequences on alcoholics and addicts who may already be struggling with the meaning and discernment of Gods Word and how it applies to their addictions.
      In The 4 Pillars of Truth For Christians in Addiction Recovery, we closely examine 4 fundamental pillars of Truth through scripture, that reveal 4 basic lies found in traditional, secular recovery programs. They are; Pillar #1,Our sin, Pillar #2, our power, Pillar #3, our hope, and Pillar #4, the myth that secular 12-step AA is a Christian program. This study prepares people for our other in depth, scripture based addiction recovery Bible study, The  “12 CHRISTIAN TRUTHS AND BIBLE STUDIES FOR ADDICTION RECOVERY.”    
      This Bible study is formatted into 12 individual Truths of scripture. They can be identified with the secular 12-steps by individuals who are familiar with such secular programs, but are seeking addiction recovery as Christians, through the discovery and study of God's Word as it applies to them. For those who have come to the understanding that in addition to Salvation, they need God's Truth in their life to succeed and have victory over their addictions. They’ve come to realize that “The Truth will indeed Set Them Free!”    

THE 4 PILLARS OF TRUTH

FOR CHRISTIANS IN

 ADDICTION RECOVERY

PILLAR #1

OUR SIN!

“SECULAR” Addiction Recovery “EXPERTS” claim "Alcoholics and addicts have an incurable DISEASE".
“GOD” says,… “WE DO NOT!”  We do not have a disease, but a sinful nature. In Galatians 5:19-21, we read, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery, idolatry, and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition ... Envy, “Drunkenness,” orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God!” This message can also be found in: Rom. 13:13, l Cor. 5:11, 6:9-10, Eph. 5:18, 1 Tim. 3:2-3, I Pet. 4:1-5. And for those who still insist we have a disease, ... God says in Mat. 4:23 ..... "Jesus went throughout Galilee, …. Healing every disease and sickness among the people". This message is repeated in James 5:16, Acts 4:10-14,5:16, 8:7, 14:8-9,28, Ps. I03:3. Wherever the word “drunkenness” appears in God’s Word, in context, it’s always used with other sinful behavior. So again, we do not have a disease, but a sinful nature. Before we move on to Pillar 2, let's review and study Col. 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world, rather than on Christ". Also we read in 1 Cor. 1:19-20,  19, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20, Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

PILLAR #2

OUR POWER!

“SECULAR” Addiction recovery “EXPERTS” claim that we are “POWERLESS,” (step one). This statement is Heresy in a Christian Church !
“GOD” says..…“WE ARE NOT“!   In Acts 1:8, Jesus says,  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus also tells us in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Paul tells us in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Also in 2 Cor. 12:9-10 ...."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, ....so that Christ's power may rest on me,....for when I am weak, than I am strong". Or Eph. 3: 14-21, "Out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through "His" spirit in "your inner being" ....18: you may have power .... that "YOU" may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of GOD". Or Col. 1:11 ...."Being strengthened with "all power" according to HIS glorious might so that "YOU" may have great endurance and patience". Also read Rom. 8:1-17, 9:17, 15:13, Eph. l :19-20, 3:20, 2 Tim. 3:1-5, Luke 1:35, Prov. 24:5
Don’t listen to the world’s lies. To tell a born again Christian that he or she is “powerless”, (step #1 in any 12-step program), is Heresy in the church. And today, there are thousands of churches around the country and beyond, that are guilty of this heresy! If you are using one of these 12-step programs, that begins with teaching a born again believer filled with the Holy Spirit that he or she is “powerless”, you need to re-evaluate your program. Or  simply explain to them that they were powerless before surrendering their lives to Christ.

PILLAR # 3

OUR HOPE!

"SECULAR" Addiction recovery "EXPERTS" claim "we have no hope," i.e.: "Once a drunk, always a drunk". A very commonly heard statement at 12-step meetings around the world. So commonly used and heard in fact, one would have to suspect it to be a policy supported by the leaders of the 12-step programs. A very “Hopeless” statement in deed! A type of philosophy or teaching only the Devil could perpetrate! An absolute lie that should never find its way into a Christian Church. "GOD" says in Heb. 6:19: "Our "Hope" is certain. It is something for the soul to hold onto. It is strong and secure. It goes all the way into the most Holy room behind the curtain". Or 1 Pet. 1 :3: "Give praise to the GOD and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In HIS great mercy he has given us a new birth and a "Hope" that is alive". Or, in Heb. 7: 19: "The law didn't make anything perfect, now a better "Hope" has been given to us. That "Hope" brings us closer to God". Also read: Prov. 23:18, Rom. 15:4,13, 5:5,8:24-25, Eph. 1:18-19, 2:12, 4:4, Heb. 3:6, 6:11,10:23, 1 Cor. 13:13, Titus 1:2, 1 Pet. 3:15, 1 Thes. 1:3. Notes: Read "In Touch" (Jan. 3, 2011) on "Hope and Power"      
       As Christians in recovery, are we going to continue living in our addictions, and become another vital statistic, or are we going to accept and stand firm on Gods Truth, (John 8:32-36), trust it, and claim the victory over the bondage that is ours! (l Cor. 15:57 and 1 John 5:4.) It's our choice. I'm sure you're not reading this for entertainment, but in search for answers. All of the above are Gods answers according to His Word. I hope you've taken the time to follow along with His Word.
      My prayer is that you will find True and Everlasting Eternal Recovery in Christ Jesus, through the Revelation of His Truth. Amen

PILLAR # 4

THE A/A CHRISTIAN MYTH!

Many have been asking and debating for years, is A-A a Christian based program? Does it have Christian roots? Were the founders Christian men? It should only take a few verses of scripture in God's Word, the Truth, to recognize and understand scripture like… Matthew 28:16-20, (The Great Commission), or Titus 1:16, or Acts 17:23, that when we hear messages about putting our trust and faith into some “undefined higher power”, or God of “our” choice, or a god as we choose to understand him, we should easily be able to recognize the complete and total lie, and false teaching in the idea that AA is a Christian program. As Christians, there is only “One” God! A-A has been claiming for years to have Christian roots, and yet proclaims that “any” god that you can imagine is acceptable in their meetings and program. They refuse to allow the Holy Word of God in their meetings, or any discussion of His Son Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit is forbidden. Is it possible to receive Salvation and Eternal life with God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, from "some undefined higher power"? I believe the answer is quite clear according to scripture. As long as A-A refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as its “higher power”, and that there is but only one Sovereign Almighty God, and refuses to allow the Gospel, and discuss Jesus Christ, or scripture, or prayer in their meetings, it will never be a Christian program! Period! You can't deny Christ and be a Christian! While I understand their original intent, which is still being practiced today, is to try to make their meetings more appealing and acceptable to a larger audience, any and all Christians #1 objective must be to lead others to Christ! Matthew 28:16-20 commands us to do so, and if we are Christians, we don't need a command, because it should become our utmost desire to lead others to Christ. Then It’s Christ’s job to Sanctify them! What good is a sober person going straight to Hell because the Truth's been hidden from them? And the Truth tells us that God won't allow any drunkards into Heaven, so we consequently, can be assured that if we are truly saved, he will “set us free” from our addictions!  no, A/A is Not a Christian program, period! Good intentions or works will not get us into Heaven. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

For a more detailed and comprehensive study of addiction recovery, based on scripture and The Truth of God, visit our page, “12 CHRISTIAN TRUTHS AND BIBLE STUDIES FOR ADDICTION RECOVERY"